THE HISTORY OF CRICKET

Cricket is a team sport played between two groups of eleven players each. He was born, at least in his modern form, in England and is popular mainly in the Commonwealth countries. In some Asian countries: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, cricket is by far the most popular sport. It is also an important sport in England, Wales, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the English-speaking Caribbean (British West Indies).

The origins of cricket are unknown even if it seems certain that games similar to the current cricket were practiced in Southeastern England as early as 1300, imported into that region by Flemish shepherds. There are many theories about the origin of the cricket name. It could derive from the Flemish word krick stick, reflecting the cultural and economic exchanges between the south east of England and Flanders. During the 1600s many sources testify to the growth of the practice of this game in the south east of England and at the end of the century already registered the first games with organized teams. In 1700 the game developed to become the English national sport and as such spread throughout the British colonial empire.Cricket is a “unique” game. To play cricket it is not enough to follow the rules that organize the different phases of the game, but it must be practiced respecting the spirit of the game. On the field of cricket there is no room for violence, it is not allowed to address insults to the referee or even to mock his opponents, on the contrary if the opponent makes a technical gesture worthy of note must be supported.

The spread of cricket in Italy is certainly linked to the migratory dynamics that affect our country. Most of the new Italian cricket practitioners are, in fact, foreign citizens who come from Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, countries where cricket is widely followed and loved. Sport practice, as the European Community recognizes in the White Paper on Sport, is a fundamental component in the harmonious growth of the individual. Sport produces both physical and social well-being, because it has the enormous potential to bring together and reach everyone, regardless of age or social origin. The White Paper reminds the European States that it is important to make space available for sport and support sports activities, so that migrants and host societies can interact positively. In this sense, the UISP considers it central to contribute to promoting the practice of cricket, precisely because we are convinced that sport is in all respects a right as well as a valuable instrument of integration for new citizens.

The spirit of the game

“Cricket is a game that owes much of its uniqueness to the fact that it should be played not only according to its laws but also according to the Spirit of the Game. Any action that is seen as contrary to this Spirit causes damage to the game itself. The main responsibility for ensuring that the game is conducted in the spirit of fair play is captains. »

This is the preamble that precedes the list of “Rules of Cricket” and introduces the short paragraph entitled The spirit of the game, which lists a whole series of rules that usually in other sports are “unwritten” and entrusted to good sense of the players. These rules include, for example, respect towards the opponent, towards the umpires (referees) and the traditional values ​​of the game; the prohibition to direct towards an umpire and towards the adversarous words disrespectful or offensive (it is even forbidden to advance towards an umpire with aggressive step); and above all the absolute condemnation of any violent act among the players on the playing field